Toni, Alex Gonzaga in Dubai get surprise gift from fan

  DUBAI – A Filipino fan of Toni and Alex Gonzaga in Dubai got a pleasant surprise after the celebrity sisters exchanged his surprise with another one: An appreciation post on Instagram! Elton Cosiñero Lipanta couldn’t believe it when he saw his hand-painted handbags on the Instagram stories of Toni and Alex, who were recently in Dubai for a packed concert at Expo 2020 Dubai. Lipanta, a 41-year-old dental clinic administrator in Dubai, had sent the Gonzaga sisters his labour of love as surprise gifts: Two handbags that he hand-painted with their portrait and inspirational quotes. Lipanta revealed that it took him six hours to finish his artwork on the bags, which almost never reached the celebrities. “I went to Expo 2020 to see their concert and I brought the bag I painted for Toni. I was hoping to give it personally to her. After the concert, I went backstage but the security guard said Toni and Alex were not coming out,” Lipanta told Expatmedia.net. Toni and Alex Gonzaga at a concert at Expo 2020 Dubai He reached out to a friend who knew the celebrity sisters and asked him to deliver the bag to Toni instead. Friends also reached out to try to help him connect to the Gonzaga family who stayed for a few more days in Dubai. “On the night before they left, I stayed for hours at the lobby of the hotel where they stayed, hoping to see them. After a while, I saw them walk by and I got my chance to give the other bag to Alex,” Lipanta said. “I even said ‘Hi’ to Mommy Pinty and Daddy Bonoy. Mommy Pinti even asked for my name. She told me that Toni was resting,” he said. “After a few minutes, I saw Alex post the bag I gave her on her Instagram stories. Later, Toni did the same. I was very happy!” the Filipino exclaimed. Alex Gonzaga meets a fan in Dubai who gave her and Toni hand-painted bags. Lipanta said he is a “very big fan” of Toni and Alex. “They are both a balance of fun and seriousness,” he said. “Toni has been my favorite host of all time. She delivers her lines in the Pinoy Big Brother house impeccably. She is also a great actress,” said Lipanta, who also moonlights as an event host in Dubai. What does he admire most about Toni? “I admire her for being true to herself and the way she is not bothered with people canceling her. That is why that is the quote I picked for the handbag. What is important is we don’t cancel ourselves,” he said. The quote reads: “No matter how many people or how many times you were cancelled by other people, what’s important is you never cancel yourself.” Why did he choose to include this quote in the hand painted bag? “It’s a powerful message. But more than anything, when I fell into depression years back, I cancelled myself, so I can relate. And this year 2022 I promised myself to never cancel myself,” Lipanta shared. PIA/Expat Media
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